Rural Route 3
by Snowy R.E.M
Summary: In the early days of the zombie apocalypse a group of survivors meet in a motel off a country road and try to survive.
1. Chapter 1

_Rural Route 3_

_Four days after first infection…_

Terry Hickey sat alone in the CreekView Motel watching the latest news reports about this so called "Super Virus". "Experts predict that within two weeks the world will be totally consumed by this virus." The reporter listed off the symptoms and warnings while gruesome images were shown. One made Terry cringe. It was the image of a man covered in blood standing over a bruised and bloody woman. The man had soulless eyes. This was the last image shown as the report ended replaced by static.

Laura Stevens and her family were travelling by minivan to her sisters in the small town of CreekView. As a nurse she saw first hand what the virus can do. Knowing that the virus is spread mainly through person to person contact she thought to get as far away from heavily populated areas as possible. "Shit" she said under her breath as she saw that she was almost out of gas. She didn't want to stop, especially after what happened to her husband Rick.

They grabbed all the supplies they could before they left the city. They stopped to get some gas. Rick walked out of the van and up to the pumps. He started to fill up the car when someone started to run towards him. As the figure got closer they saw his bloody and mangled flesh. Rick turned to face the figure but was a step to late as it slammed him against the side of the van. A bloated figure moaned horribly and waddled over to the van as Rick continued to fight.

Laura jumped into the drivers seat and ran down the obese creature. After she smashed into it the mini van was covered in a viscous green slime. More of those creatures began to run towards the van. Her two children David, 15 and Mark, 12 screamed at the sight of the horde of creatures running at them. Tears filled Laura's eyes as she silently said farewell to David as the van sped out of the city.

Special agent Fred Miller looked down on the chaos below him. Buildings burned, cars burned, civilization itself burned as the C.A.A.R.T sent agent's on a rescue mission to find any survivors and bring them to military safe-zones. Miller was apart of team Gamma, they were being sent to rural area's to find survivors. He looked at the 7 other members of his team and prayed they were more prepared for these situations then he was.

Kevin, or Slick as his friends call him, not that he has many left, was searching through a gas station for supplies. He and his biker buddies were holed up in a bar off the highway betting on who could kill the most. Hell, he had won $50 from it. "Lotta good it'll do me now" he said to himself. They were doing fine until a giant zombie barged in. The zombie was as tall as the ceiling and heavily muscled. It quickly ripped through the bikers with few escaping. Most went to the city to try and find some help, Slick went looking for supplies.

Terry shut the t.v off and stood up. He pushed the tacky purple couch in front of the window to block it. He tore the sheets off the bed and took out his pocket knife and started cutting the sheets. "Thank god for the boy scouts" he said as he fashioned his amateur bandages.

Laura saw a gas station on the side of a dirt road and decided to pull over. Desperate for gas she slowly pulled up to the pumps. Her son David got out with her and grabbed a window washing squeegee to use as a weapon. As she pumped the gas David scanned for any movement. Mark jumped out on the other side to stretch his legs. He heard a low growl from his right. He slowly turned and was hit with a tackle, from what looked like a blue blur. The blur was on top of him as he felt something sharp dig into his body. "Get it off me!" He shouted as he felt his body being torn apart.

David heard an ear shattering scream followed by cry's for help. He ran to the other side of the minivan and saw a creature in a blue sweater tearing into his brother. He ran over and smashed the squeegee over it's head. The monster didn't even flinch, it just kept tearing into Mark. David took a few steps back, dropped his shoulder and charged at the creature finally knocking it off his brother. The monster coiled again and leapt at David.

Slick heard a commotion from outside the station and gripped his pistol as he slowly walked out of the abandoned station. He ducked behind a gas pump for cover. "Get him off me!" He heard a voice shout. "Aw shit, I should probably give them a hand" Slick said gun drawn. He ran to the source of the noise behind a blue minivan. He saw a blue sweater adorned monster tearing into some kid, another kid was on the ground, the women was unconscious. Slick fired two shots point blank into it's head.

David pushed the fallen fiend off and climbed to his feet. His saviour wasn't the typical hero. Instead of tights and a cape he wore a leather jacket with several tears in it and a yellow bird sewn on the back. He wore blood stained jeans and black combat boots. "Listen, I ain't here to baby-sit, get yourselves patched up and find some safety." The man said. "Well thanks sir, are you sure you don't want to go with us?" David asked. The biker responded with a snort, turned and hopped on his bike and drove off.

Terry finished making his jerry-rigged bandages, emptied his suitcase and made a homemade first-aid kit. "Ok, I've got some bandages, I raided the pantry here a few days ago so I've got enough food, all I need now is something to fend these rotting bastards off." Terry said to himself as he searched the hotel room for a weapon. He heard a loud humming pass over his head.

Private Miller looked at the sights below as the sun set behind them. The country was in way better shape then the city and he prayed that they would find some survivors here instead of the usual chaos, death and destruction seen in the last 5 days.


	2. Chapter 2

_Chapter 2_

"Mom, mom come on wake up Mark and me are fine" David said trying to shake his mother into consciousness. She slowly and shakily stood up with David's assistance. "Mom listen, Mark will be fine but we need to get him some help, we gotta find some shelter before more of those things show up." Laura nodded and got into the front seat of the van. "David lay Mark down in the back." She said taking a deep breath trying to concentrate. "CreekView's still a ways away but according to the map there's supposed to be a motel a few minutes away." "Maybe we can find some help."

"Miller, Bronson, Franks, Robinson there's a motel near by." Commander Phillips said. "We're going to drop you onto the roof, go in and check for survivors, radio if you find any." "We're going to check the local towns for survivors." The four grabbed onto the fast ropes hung from the helicopter and slid down onto the roof of the small white motel. The black military helicopter flew into the darkening horizon as the sounds of the engines died away leaving only their breathing and dead silence.

Terry broke off the legs from a crappy end table. He cut another piece out of the blanket and tied his pocket-knife to the end of the table leg to make a shabby spear. "Well it's better than nothing" Terry said checking his handy work. He slowly opened the door and checked side to side. He pulled out a lighter to light his way. The hall was better illuminated as he looked side to side. He turned to the right and saw the figure of a human. "Hey, are you alright?" He asked slowly approaching the figure. The figure whirled around to reveal a greyish, bloody, torn face. It released a grunt and swung at Terry. Terry slashed and hacked at the terrible creature with his makeshift spear. The creature finally fell as Terry continued to whack it. "Shit, I'm gonna need a bigger weapon."

On top of the CreekView motel four of the C.A.A.R.T members dropped in through an air vent into the dark motel. "Flashlights on" Robinson said taking the lead and attaching a flashlight to an AK 47. "Are there any survivors!?" Miller shouted into the darkness. He heard his voice echo but that was about it. "Miller, Bronson watch our backs, Franks and I will lead" Robinson said. The four moved slowly moved through the nightmarish motel. Franks stopped moving "guys do you hear that?" He asked. Sure enough there was soft sing-song moaning and crying coming from somewhere down the dark hall. "It's coming from that room over there, number 24" Franks said moving towards the door.

Laura pulled up to the motel. The paint was peeling and she thought the place could fall apart at any minute. She opened the side doors of the mini van and with David they carried Mark to the front door. She peered inside the glass doors but saw only darkness. She pulled on the doors which opened quite easily. They pulled Mark inside and layed him down on the front desk. David looked through the key cubby to try and find a room where they could take shelter in. Laura opened Mark's blue plaid buttoned shirt. She turned her head and almost vomitted at the sight of his wound. "Shit we need to find something to patch up that wound or you're gonna bleed out." "Mom I found somewhere to take shelter in" David said holding up room keys. "Alright come over here and give me a hand" she said as they lifted Mark carefully as they made their way to room 26

Franks knocked on the door and asked if the women inside was alright. No response just more crying and moaning. "Mam I'm coming in now" he said opening the door. He did a scan of the area with his flashlight shining it directly on the crying woman. She turned to face him, her crimson eyes glowing. "What the fu-" he got out before the woman charged at him with shockingly long nails, more like claws. The woman knocked him down with a claw swipe. She let out an ear piercing scream lifting her claws high. Franks heard gunshots from his teammates but it was too late. The woman dug her claws into his body tearing into him with wicked speed. Things got dark and then Franks was no more.

"What the hell was that?" Terry asked after hearing several loud screams. "Is someone else here?" He pulled his spear out of the zombie and made his way down the hall to the source of the commotion. He saw several beams of light cut through the seemingly infinite darkness. He heard men shouting and shooting at something. He heard one final ear piercing scream then nothing. He ran towards the beams of light. He saw three men decked out in soldier gear, all of them heavily armed. They were all standing over another soldier, this won was obviously dead. Next to him a deathly pale creature with long claws. The three looked at him "jesus someone in this shit holes actually alive" one said. "Yeah and I've got a hotels worth of food stored in my room." Terry said.

After hearing all the screaming Laura and company decided that even though there may be people down there, it could also be something worse. "David stay here, if I'm not back in 5 minutes find another room" she said. David nodded and watched his mother walk into the abyss.


	3. Chapter 3

_Chapter 3_

Staff Sargeant William Morris looked at the sights below. CreekView was in ruins. The small town was devastated by this infection. The infected either ran around the town or rotted in the gutters. "Should I take us in" Brad the pilot asked. "No, theres nothing left" Morris said shaking his head. "Freeman shut that door" Morris said pointing to the door at the side of the helicopter. Freeman slid over to the door and was about to close it when he was dragged out of the helicopter. "Jesus Christ!" Morris shouted as Freeman plummeted to his death. "Go, go go!" Morris shouted as he closed the door. A piece of concrete smashed against the helicopter completly annihilating it's tail. The helicopter crashed leaving them stranded.

Slick watched as the helicopter hit the ground exploding into a fireball that engulfed half the block. This fried the infected in his way as he jumped on his bike and high-tailed it out of the town. He had seen another one of those blue blurs rip another person apart. A steroid infected similar to the one he saw in the bar took the helicopter down. One with a long tongue pulled the soldier out. He sped out of the doomed town.

Laura Stevens moved slowly through the hallway trying to find the source of the screaming she heard. She prayed to every god imaginable that the noise came from people and that those people were still alive. She heard talking a little further down the hall which made her heart soar. "Hello! Hello! Can you hear me!?" She shouted into the darkness. "Yes we can hear you, are you injured?" The voice responded. "No but my son is he needs medical attention ASAP." She said. "I have some homemade bandages" she heard a different voice say. "Miller go with Mr. Hickey and the women, Bronson and I will clear the area" she heard the original voice say. Two men, one with a flashlight, the other with a lighter appeared from the dark.

Terry followed the women down the hall, the soldier was right behind him gun drawn. Terry saw two other people, one leaning against a wall, the other laying on the ground shivering. Terry walked over a knelt by him. "Now kid I'm not a doctor, I can't promise these will work but it's worth a shot" he said wrapping his wounds. Mark rasped out thank you. "We need somewhere for him to rest" Laura said. "We're clearing out the basement, we're going to take all the food Mr. Hickey stockpiled and we're going to contact rescue" the soldier said confidently.

The two C.A.A.R.T agents entered the basement with guns drawn. There were a few infected scattered throughout the spacious, creepy basement but they were dispatched quickly. Corporal Robinson pulled out his radio and told Miller that the basement was clear and that he is to transport the rations to the basement. Robinson walked over to the wall and sat down sighing heavily. "Bronson the world's gone to shit" he said lighting up a cigarette. "I joined the army to avoid jail time for a burglary charge." "I went through basic training and ended up excelling at everything." "I went from a felon to a field agent." Bronson nodded and sat by the stairs. "A year later this virus breaks out and it everything falls." "About this time last year I'd be appealing my charge." "Well the jury's out" Bronson said, "and I guess you beat the system."

The rag tag group of survivors made thier way down to the basement, bandages in the briefcase and food carried by Private Miller and Mrs. Stevens. "Alright, still no word from the sarge" Robinson said. "So until we get further orders I'm in charge." "Miller, Mr. Hickey, Private Bronson barracade the door." "I'm going to keep on the radio."

"It's startin to storm" Slick said to himself as the grey clouds started to swirl above him as rain fell. "That motel will keep me dry and hopefully alive." He pulled into the parking lot beside a blue minivan. He pulled out his old revolver and walked into the motel. The place was eerily silent. He stumbled down the hallway groping the walls to find his way. "Ouch, damnit!" He shouted as he stubbed his toe on something. He looked down and saw crimson. He screamed at the sight of the dismembered man. He took the gun and flashlight of him and continued down the hall. He saw a stairway that went straight down. "Basement's as good a place as any" he mumbled to himself as he walked down seemingly into hell.

Slick reached the door and tried to open it but it seemed to be either locked or jammed. He pounded on the door and shouted "if there's anyone in there let me in!" He shoulder charged at the door. He felt the door begin to weaken. He ran full speed at the door and fell down the stairs on the other side. He sat up with a gun aimed in his face. "Who are you?" The man asked. "I'm tired, wet, sore and not infected so you can breathe easy." Slick said. "Well know you're gonna help rebuild that barracade" he said. Slick glared at the man but decided he'd rather live than keep some pride. He got up and help gather things to block the door. It was gonna be a long zombie apocalypse if he had to spend it with private McAsshole and the stupor troopers.


	4. Chapter 4

_Chapter 4_

After an hour or so of lifting and placing a suitable barracade was constructed. "I guess introductions are in order" Miller said. "My name's Fred Miller private first class U.S army, over there's Greg Bronson also private first class and our superior officer over there is Even Robinson." "My name's Laura and these are my sons David and Mark" Laura said waving. "I'm Terry and I don't really have an interesting story" he said laughing a little. "Call me Slick" the grizzled biker said.

2 hours later...

"Come in gamma team leader, we have found survivors and are waiting for extraction, over" Miller spoke into the radio. "Look kid you've been shoutin into that damn thing for an hour and a half, they aint comin" Slick said irritated. "Where were they stationed anyways?" "They went on a search and rescue mission to CreekView." Miller answered. "They fly in a big black helicopter?" Slick asked. "Yeah why?" "Well kid they're as good as dead." "How?" "Well one got pulled out by some long tongued freak, that roided up infected through a big rock at the helicopter and knocked it out of the sky." "There's still a chance they could be alive but wounded." "Kid even if the fall didn't kill them the blazing inferno afterwards did." "Unless there's another helicopter within range of that radio were stuck here." Slick said before rolling over and falling asleep.

Laura watched her son Mark breathe well he slept. It was shallow but at least it was something. She should be able to sleep easy but with all the things she's been through her mind was racing 100 miles an hour. Marks' hand started to cool. His grip on her hand weakened, but only for a moment. It gripped harder than ever now as he sat up. She couldn't tell if it was the dark playing tricks with her eyes but Marks complexion looked different. "Mark, Mark are you alright?" She asked. Mark let out a terrible shriek.

Slick bolted into an up-right position gun drawn. He grabbed one of the soldiers flashlight and scanned the room. He saw Laura being attacked by an infected. He lifted his revolver, fired once and drilled the bastard right between the eyes. Laura pushed the dead infected off her then screamed. This brought a domino effect as everyone else sat up. "What the hell happened?" Terry shouted. "He... he killed my son!" Laura screamed pointing at Slick. Everyone looked at him, Robinson gripped his gun. "That kid was infected, go look at him." Slick said pointing at the body. Private Bronson walked over to the kid and shone his flashlight at him. "Yeah that boy's definitly infected, or was I guess" he said.

Laura sat in the corner totall dispondent. She was crying and shaking. David tried to console her but she just sat there rocking back and forth. Slick leaned against the wall spinning the chamber of his revolver. Miller sat in the corner playing with his radio. Bronson and Robinson stood next to each other talking quietly. Terry pulled out his pocket-knife and started to carve something into the wall.

One day later...

A day had passed since the incident but it seemed like nothing changed. Laura was lost inside herself, David had long since given up trying to console her began to write with an old pen on a ledger taken from the hotel front desk. Terry stopped carving and paced. The three soldiers continued to use the radio but it looked to be a losing battle. Slick slumped down in the corner resting waiting for whatever may come. He looked over to where Terry had spent most of the night. Carved into the concrete wall were some of Terry's thoughts.

_There were 8,_

_now theres six_

_they're tryin to get rid of another_

_but I won't fall for there tricks_

_them or me_

_them or me_

_them or me_

No one had payed any attention to what Terry carved. Slick seemed to be the only one that noticed. He watched the man pace back and forth in an almost hypnotic way. If he tried anything there'd be one less person to worry about.

"Is there anyone out there, we are a group of survivors holed in a motel off Rural Route 3." Miller said into the radio. "Hello, hello!" He heard a response. "We are the remaining survivors of Gamma team" Miller said. "We're the other half of Alpha team" the voice responded. "How many of you are there?" "6" Miller responded. "We can take only half of you, our helicopter is full of wounded." "Ok that's fine" Miller said. "We can pick you up in 20 minutes." "Roger that over and out."

"Great news guys rescue is on the way!" Miller said excitedly. "But they have room for only three of us." "So who gets to go?" David asked. Terry was still pacing hand gripped tightly on his wore down pocket knife. "I say we let the kid and his mom go" Slick said gesturing towards David and his mother. "Agreed." Robinson said. The five men looked at each other. 4 would stay behind. Bronson stood up with his back turned to Terry. "I say the three of us stay behind." "Yeah the civilians come first" Miller said. Terry stopped pacing and ran at Bronson letting out an earsplitting shriek. He jabbed his wore down knife into his neck and pumped it in repeatedly. He was shot dead by Robinson. "Oh shit Bronson!" Miller shouted looking at his dead squadmate. "Well biker it looks like it's your lucky day" Robinson said.

David's mother sat unmoving. David knelt down in front of her. He saw crimson flowing from her wrists. "Oh my god mom!" "Someone help!" David shouted shaking his bleeding mother. Slick put his head down. "She'd rather be eaten by her infected son than see him die." He muttered to himself. "Miller you go with them, I'll stay behind" Robinson said. Miller nodded and lifted David off his dead mother trying to console him. Robinson and Slick started dismantling the barracade. He would be rescued, but he thought he'd rather be dead.


	5. Chapter 5 Finale

_Chapter 5_

Slick, Miller, David and Robinson made their way out of the basement back into the motel. They shone their flashlights scanning the area and were shocked. The motel hallway was filled with infected. "David get behind us" Robinson said raising his gun. The infected started to run at the survivors. "FIRE!" Robinson shouted as they opened fire. The three mowed down the infected. "No, no, no heeeeeelp!" David shouted as he was dragged away by a long tongued infected. Slick fired two shots. One hit the tongue and the other hit the infected between the eyes. He ran over and helped David up. "Cmon kid we've gotta catch a ride."

"There's the stairs that can take us to the roof!" Miller exclaimed. "Roger, no time to lose get moving!" Robinson ordered breaking out into a full sprint. The four made it on to the stairs and made the short climb to the roof. "Miller go first and check" Robinson ordered. Miller moved slowly towards the door with his gun drawn. He opened the door revealing another horde of infected. Miller crouched and fired at the wave. Robinson fired over Miller's head. "Shit I'm out" Miller said staring at his gun. "Take my gun" Robinson said handing Miller a baretta 9mm. "We'll be there in 5 minutes" Miller's radio crackled.

The four walked on to the roof watching the sky. After a few minutes they heard the rumble from the engine. "Anybody else feel the ground shake?" David asked. All of a sudden a tan coloured fist shot through the roof narrowly missing David. "Open fire!" Robinson commanded unloading his AK 47 into the giant arm. Miller and Slick gave supporting fire but the creature wouldn't stop as it pulled itself on to the roof.

"There's the helicopter!" David shouted pointing at a ebony helicopter flew closer. It landed on the very edge of the roof. "Go! Go! GO!" Robinson ordered as he fired the last of the clip into the monster. David ran and jumped into the helicopter followed by Miller who was still firing at the infected monster. "Hey tough guy get on that goddamn helicopter" Robinson shouted at Slick. "You go, I got a beef with these bastards!" He shouted firing his revolver at the mammoth monster. Robinson nodded and ran towards the helicopter. "Go." Robinson ordered as the helicopter left the roof. Slick emptied his gun into the monster. He looked up towards the helicopter and met Robinson's eyes. Robinson saluted him before the monster crushed Slick with it's monstrous hands.

"We could have saved him!" David shouted angriliy at Robinson. Miller remained quiet tilting his head back and sighed. Robinson didn't turn to respond, he just stared at the carnage below him. After a few moments Robinson simply said "he lied, he cheated, he stole, he killed, but in the end he made the ultimate sacrifice." "It doesn't matter what he did in his past, it's what he chose to do." "And I will always respect him for that." Robinson didn't say a word after that as the helicopter travelled above the silent country road. Rural Route 3 had turned into hell on earth. But they had survived. As the sun set behind them Miller wondered if anyone else was alive....


End file.
